Adam Vinatieri, arguably the NFL's best clutch kicker and whose 2,006 career points rank fifth in league history, says player safety is why the league's competition committee should end discussions to make extra points more difficult — such as a proposal to move the line of scrimmage for the kicks from the traditional 2-yard-line back to the 25.

"I don't understand the logic: Will it make the game safer for people by moving the extra point back to a 43-yarder? If anything, players are going to rush harder because they're thinking, 'That far of a field goal-type try, we have to go after blocking it more,' " Vinatieri told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. "If you want to talk about potential risk, more guys get injured on a field goal than extra point.

"It definitely will change the game. For the better? I'm not sure."

Asked if an unintended consequence of more potential two-point conversion attempts would be to expose more marquee players to potential injury, Vinatieri says, "I agree 100%."

Vinatieri, 41, appeared ageless during one of his best seasons in 2013. He hopes to play another "two, three years" preferably with the Indianapolis Colts, who hope to re-sign him before free agency begins March 11.

Vinatieri spoke out for the fraternity of NFL kickers, insisting they shouldn't be penalized for making the game look so easy.

Last season, NFL kickers converted 99.6% of PAT attempts — five misses in 1,267 attempts — prompting the discussion to make the kicks more difficult.

"This just seems like a proposal by a couple of people trying to pound their chest a little saying, 'Let's change it up because kickers are too good,' " says Vinatieri, who last season was 35-for-40 on field goals, including 4-for-6 on attempts from beyond 50 yards.

Feely acknowledges, however, the days of the near-automatic extra point are likely numbered. He would prefer to see longer extra points than have them disappear.

For 10 years, Feely, 37, has been automatic on PATs.

"You don't penalize a baseball closer for being great, you celebrate that. You should do the same thing with kickers," Feely says. "If you're going to change the extra-point rule, I'd rather see you change it and still have it as part of the game than eliminate it."

Longer extra points would cause coaches to think a little harder about whether to kick or go for a two-point conversion, Feely says, but he thinks most teams would still opt to kick.

"A change would create more strategy because you'd have to decide if you'd want to kick it or go for two points because about 80% was average for 43-yard field goals last season," Feely said. "You're going to still trust your kicker to go out there and make 43-yard extra points."

Still, Feely says, it will cause more drama.

"Somebody is going to miss a critical extra point," he said. "So that coach is going to think harder about whether or not he likes his 2-point play."